Opinion
Alumni game
more than PR
When Head Football Coach Jackie
Sherrill initiated the Alumni football
game in 1982, many people believed it
to be a public relations move.
It probably was. But it’s the kind of
public relations move that most people
don’t mind.
It’s not without hazards, though, as
Aggie quarterback Kevin Murray dis
covered Saturday. Injuries will and do
happen.
The Alumni game, featuring foot
ball players from days past versus
members of the present team, is a nos
talgic meeting of old and new.
The reunion of Class of’75 football
players — members of the team that
was undefeated until its last game —
was particularly poignant. All-America
linebacker Garth Ten Napel, who was
never expected to play football — or
even walk — again after being severely
injured in an automobile crash five
years ago, played four downs. Fellow
All-America linebacker Ed Simonini,
hero-worshiped by many, played in the
game and wide receiver Carl Roaches,
now with the Houston Oilers, watched
from the sidelines.
Scenes from each Alumni game will
live in memories for some time: Ten
participating in Saturday’s
the late Alabama coach Paul
Bryant hugging John David
in the First game; trainers sur
rounding Murray, a player considered
crucial to Texas A&M’s success in the
fall, after his injury Saturday.
Those scenes are convincing: Public
relations event or not, the Alumni
game is one we can all enjoy.
— The Battalion Editorial Board
Napel
game;
“Bear”
Crow
Regents take over
Mount Olympus
The Texas A&M Board of Regents
has been developing nasty habits lately.
The regents sit atop Mount Olympus
at their monthly meetings, throwing de
cisions around like lightning bolts.
Should any ordinary mortal (that is, stu
dent) question their decisions, the re
gents merely ignore the protest.
Judging from the number of unpop
ular decisions announced this year, the
regents aren’t concerned with what stu
dents want or need. One example of
their “concern” is the recent fee hikes.
dainah.
bullard
many years, the railroad and the station
were the University’s lifeline to the out
side world.
Until the 1940s, the train was the
principal means of transportation to
and f rom the college. Hundreds of men
traveled to school on the trains. College
girls from Texas Woman’s University
took the train from Denton to visit the
men at Texas A&M. Speaking of Col
lege Station, guess what inspired the
city's name.
The old train station isn’t used as a
stopping point anymore. It’s leased to
private enterprise. When the lease ex
pires, the University hopes to buy the
station and demolish it. If that’s pro
gress, the University doesn’t need it.
Demolishing the station will serve no
purpose; restoring the station, perhaps
creating a museum, would.
By ignoring the protests of students,
the regents have proved they care little
for the traditions or the students.
And who can forget the granddaddy of
unpopular decisions — the placement
of the Albritton bell tower.
Usually, the regents don’t have to
deal with students’ protests until it’s too
late for decisions to be reversed.
They’ve learned to move stealthily, put
ting their plans into action when there is
no one present to argue — like moving a
war memorial without giving notice.
There’s something wrong when a
University famous for its traditions is
run by a board which persistently
usurps those traditions.
The removal of the World War I me
morial might have been acceptable if it
had been necessary. But it wasn’t nec
essary. There are numerous sites on the
Texas A&M campus where the bell
tower could have been built without of
fending students. Instead, the regents
choose to create controversy.
The worst part of the situation is that
the placement of the bell tower won’t be
the last issue created by the regents.
They are even now preparing to destroy
another Aggie landmark: the old rail
road station on -west campus.
The old station doesn’t play a big part
in the lives of Aggies today, but for
After all, students don’t have any real
power. All they do is pay tuition, clutter
up the campus and question decisions
handed down from the mountain. Even
with the new rates, tuition is not where
the big bucks come from to support the
regents’ activities.
The big money for the University
comes from the former students — the
people who care enough about their
school to pour money into it. Some of
those Old Ags drive past the old rail
road station every fall when they come
back to Texas A&M for football games.
They point to the station, as they point
to other landmarks, and tell their chil
dren or grandchildren how they once
traveled to school.
These are the folks holding the pock-
etbook, the people the regents must an
swer to for their destruction of Aggie
traditions and monuments. Hopefully,
former students will take action soon.
The Board of Regents should have to
answer to someone. After all, who died
and made them gods?
Dainah Bullard is a junior agricultu
ral journalism major and a staff writer
for The Battalion.
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Opinions expressed in The Battalion are those sively to the use for reproduction of all news dis-
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Big mergers hinge on small issues
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By ART BUCHWALD
Columnist for The Los Angeles Times Syndicate
When it comes to mergers of giant
corporations, it’s the little things, and
not the big ones, that can make a deal
fall through.
A few weeks ago the Simon Steel
Company decided to merge with Gar-
funkel Oil and Gas. The lawyers for
both sides, plus their investment bank
ers, as well as Simon and Garfunkel
were seated at the long conference table
going over the last-minute details.
The lawyer for Garfunkel said,
“Then it is agreed, that Simon will pay
$1 billion in cash for Garfunkel Indus
tries with Simon as chairman of the
board and Garfunkel as chief executive
officer. Each will receive $1 million a
year in salary, have his own company
plane, the use of the Simon Company’s
150-foot yacht, and equal shares in the
17-room Garfunkel company duck
hunting retreat in Canada.
“Further, Simon and Garfunkel will
each have a corner penthouse office in
the Garfunkel Tower building in
Greenwich, Conn., which will be re
named the Simon and Garfunkel Plaza.
Both parties will have options on
500,000 shares of new stock, at a price
no higher than $20, although we expect
it to come out at $45. Are there any
questions?”
Simon said, “As chairman of the
board I’m entitled to the No. 1 parking
place.”
Garfunkel said, “I can’t give you my
parking spot. I have 3,000 employees,
and if you park in my place they’ll think
I’m second man in the new company. I
built this building and I’ve parked in the
same place for ten years. We’ll put your
name and title in front of your parking
place.”
Simon said, “That’s not good enough.
I get the No. 1 spot or the deal is off.”
One of the investment bankers who
saw his $50 million commission going
down the drain sent out for a plan of the
parking lot. He spread it out on the con
ference table. “I’m sure something can
be worked out. Mr. Garfunkel, this is
your parking space, 10 feet from the
main entrance of the building. Why
couldn’t we give Mr. Simon this parking
spot on the other side, 10 feet f rom the
entrance?”
Garfunkel said, “That spot is re
served for my wife. She’s never parked
anywhere else.”
“So where is my wife going to park?’
Simon said angrily.
“They didn’t say anything al
king,” the lawyer protested,
Simon laid, “I’ll tell you wha!
The Simon Steel Company
another $200 million to sweeten
if I get your parking space.”
Garfunkel got red in the fact
parking sjjot is not for sale,
worked too hard to build up
pany to give uj) my No. 1 slotin
Simon stared icily at Garfui
you ref use to give up your space,
go to the market and get control
company,and then your car won’ti
get inside the gates.”
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“Right over here,” Garfunkel said.
“My wife would never stand for it.
She’s always parked next to me. I get
your parking space and my wife gets the
space next to me, or the deal is off .”
“Okay, Simon, if you wantt
hardball, we can play the same
too. We’ll buy control of your
and dump your car into the H#
River.”
Garfunkel turned to one of his law
yers. “You told me this was going to be a
f riendly takeover.”
Simon got up and said tohisla*
“Let’s go boys. It looks like we’ve
takeover war on our hands. I’ve
parked second to anyone in my life
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Letters: A&M
looks at race
Editor:
The other night I was watching the
news and heard one of the silliest prop
ositions for this University in years.
Not since the proposal to make Texas
A&M a mental institute was introduced
in the state Legislature has such an out
landish proposal been made.
Our “color blind” University has pro
ven that it is indeed “color conscious.” I
was shocked to hear that a policy requir
ing a quota of Hispanic students and
other minorities is soon to be enacted.
I have always believed in recruiting
the most eligible and studious young
people. I held the erroneous belief that
the University felt that way, too.
Like a politician seeking votes, this
University seems to be playing for brow
nie points rather than searching for the
most competent students — though
those students may be one and the
same.
I am not in any way advocating dis
crimination. I am only pleading for
equality for all. By requiring an exact
number of minority students we are
showing that we are indeed color con
scious and not color blind.
Anthony O’Hanlon
Class of’86
“We dll react differently to April 15th. ”
O'